Yonghe Road

Chapter 67 Strong Enemy
"Lei Sheng went to chase stars, and he insisted that the female singer was Chun Shui, and he wanted to drag me along. Do you think he is crazy about Chun Shui? How is that possible?" Zhong Ziqi said, and laughed at Wang Zian a few times.

Wang Zian looked at Zhong Ziqi for three seconds. Xie Anmin had always said that this guy was simple-minded but strong-limbed. It seemed that a great writer had a good eye for people. Wang Zian wiped his face and said, "Let's have a meeting."

The person presiding over the meeting on the stage was Wei Shuran, the head of the city's youth sports school. He served as a referee in the last village BA selection competition held by the city. In the preparations for this tea BA, he was one of the specific executors of the organizing committee, mainly responsible for forming teams of players and referees.

Wei Shuran cleared his throat and glanced at the people in the audience. When everyone quieted down, he began to introduce the referees for this Tea BA basketball game. Naturally, they had carefully selected a group of referees with high professionalism and rich experience in law enforcement. They came from different regions and had solid refereeing skills and rich experience in officiating competitions.

Among them, the chief referee has been engaged in basketball refereeing for more than 20 years. He has officiated many important provincial and municipal basketball competitions. He has a precise understanding and grasp of the rules of the game, and can handle various complex situations decisively and fairly to ensure the smooth progress of the game.

The two assistant referees are also experienced basketball referees. One is good at observing the details of the players' movements and can detect and accurately judge some subtle fouls in time; the other is known for his rigorous law enforcement attitude and good communication skills, and can play an important role in maintaining order on the court and communicating with players and coaches.

In addition, taking advantage of the geographical location and cultivating a local referee team, the organizing committee also assigned several outstanding young local referees to serve as assistant referees to assist the referee and assistant referee in completing various officiating tasks and ensure that every penalty is accurate.

"We're playing at home," Wei Shuran paused on the stage, "which is both an advantage and a pressure we have to bear. The advantage is that we're incredibly familiar with the local environment, climate, and pitch conditions. The players don't need to spend extra time and energy adapting, allowing them to compete at their best. Furthermore, the local fans will give us tremendous support and encouragement. The cheers and applause of the city's residents will fuel our team's progress and invigorate our spirits on the field."

The players present listened carefully to Wei Shuran's speech, and what he said was absolutely right.

But Wei Shuran changed the subject: "But the pressure is also enormous. As the host, we can't just be satisfied with participating in the competition, we must also sprint towards the goal of winning the championship. This is the hope of Secretary Song Qinglai, Director Mei Wending, Executive Director He Bing and President Ji Tong for our white tea team, and it is also the hope of the people of the whole city. The people of the whole city are looking forward to us showing the highest level of competitive strength in this basketball game of Tea BA, and winning glory for our hometown and its white tea. Therefore, every game cannot afford to make mistakes, and every penalty must stand the test, because we represent the image and honor of the local area. Don't think that because we are the host, the referees will be on our side."

Wei Shuran gave a long speech, which can be summed up in one sentence: It is shameful to lose, we must win!

Indeed, the significance of this game transcends basketball itself. It's a symbol of hometown honor and a showcase for white tea culture. The motivations of the major tea teams nationwide in their pursuit of victory are undoubtedly the same. If the major tea-sponsored teams lose, is it simply a loss for basketball? The players will inevitably believe that the local tea brands they represent have lost. Therefore, they will resort to various tactics to maintain the prestige of the tea brands sponsored by their teams.

How to maintain?

In the market, they must speak with excellent product quality, and in this "Tea BA" competition linked to basketball games, they must speak with excellent basketball skills.

If they want to win, they must improve their skills. If the level of their local players is limited, they may hire foreign players.

As the host, the local Baicha team enjoyed the advantage of home court, not only due to the favorable environment but also due to the strong support of the entire city's residents, which provided a strong morale boost. However, to ensure victory in every match and ultimately the championship, team development was paramount. This required not only the careful selection of highly professional and experienced local players, but also the inclusion of foreign players. Whether these foreign players could work well with the local players and maximize their strength depended on the team's coaching and tactics.

As it concerns the local city image and the reputation of the Baicha brand, choosing who to coach the Baicha team has become a decision as important as selecting players and hiring foreign aid.

Because the local Culture and Sports Bureau and the Education Bureau attach great importance to student sports activities, they jointly organize student sports events every year, including basketball, football, volleyball, and other track and field sports. Among them, the middle school basketball game is held every year, and many outstanding coaches have emerged.

Furthermore, basketball training institutions like the Xuefeng Club employ coaches with backgrounds in sports academies, teaching or coaching certificates, and years of substitute teaching experience or experience participating in major basketball tournaments. These coaches are often able to tailor personalized training plans to the individual needs of their students, helping them improve their basketball skills. Their coaching skills are equally impressive. Becoming a coach for this year's "Cha BA" White Tea team presents both a challenge and an opportunity for both veteran coaches and young fresh blood. Consequently, numerous coaches are eager to take the plunge, some even employing various methods, hoping to leverage their connections to secure a successful position.

Luo Chuxiu is no exception.

However, Luo Chuxiu encountered a strong opponent.

After the meeting, Wang Zian, Zhong Ziqi and others walked out of the meeting room and saw Luo Chuxiu walking alone in front of the stadium square, looking depressed.

"Coach Luo!" Several people strode towards him.

Luo Chuxiu stopped, turned around, and smiled bitterly: "Don't call me that, I can't be the coach of your Baicha team this time."

Wei Shuran had talked to Luo Chuxiu before the meeting. Although he coached the Baile Village basketball team last time and won the runner-up in the municipal competition, he lacked stamina in the prefecture-level city competition and was eliminated in the first round. Therefore, the runner-up result in the city last time was purely luck.

Wang Zian and Zhong Ziqi knew that this was not Luo Chuxiu's fault for her poor coaching skills. Without good players, even the best coach could not make a living. At that time, because Zhong Ziwang had an accident, they both withdrew from the Baile Village basketball team and went to other places.

"Hasn't the coach been finalized yet?" Wang Zian said.

"But the competitors are so strong..."

Luo Youcai had heard from the Sports Association that the coach favored by the leadership had a truly impressive record. He coached the basketball team at a local middle school. Not only had he led his team to victory at both the city and prefecture levels, he had also led numerous amateur teams to numerous provincial championships. His unique tactical system and training methods were highly praised, and he was considered a top-tier coach in the city.

"Coach Luo, are you from Baile Village?" Seeing that Luo Chuxiu was discouraged, Wang Zian asked seriously.

Luo Chuxiu was stunned.

Others were also stunned.

Wang Zian said, "The people of Baile Village are all stubborn and will never give up!"

The words were not loud, but they were like a heavy hammer, hitting Luo Chuxiu's heart hard, instantly igniting the fire of unwillingness deep in his heart.

He nodded to Wang Zian and said to the others, "I'll try my best to get in. Just wait for me to beat you to death on the basketball court!"